A Smorgasbord Post

After a slight hiatus, TEOTW is back. We are also now on Twitter, so feel free to follow us and keep up to date on new blog posts and quick news. Now to our posts.

Over the weekend, the excellence of the U.S. military and the defining spirit of the American people was put on display for the world to see. After being taken captive by Somali pirates, a U.S. cargo ship captain kept his cool about him until an elite squad of U.S. Navy SEALS were able to eliminate his captors to allow him to escape. It made for wonderful news coverage, albeit no one was ever exactly sure where the entire event was taking place, nor what it looked like. Throughout the entire ordeal, we were made sure to know by the MSM that President Obama was being briefed and kept up-to-date on the situation. Then after the rescue/escape his administration finally came out with a statement, glorifying the graciousness of the President for signing an order to authorize lethal force if necessary. That's great! Except, it was not necessary for him to authorize anything. It was a hostage situation with a non-national entity; the military was in complete control of the situation from beginning to end, regardless if Obama signed a document or not.

For example, imagine a bank robbery in which hostages are involved. Will the SWAT team wait for executive approval from D.C., before they take down the hostage-taker if possible?

Obama and Rahm Emmanuel were sitting in Washington waiting for the outcome, ready to pounce on any good news and push themselves away from anything negative. Thankfully for our nation, we heard nothing but good news, but unfortunately we now have to live with the gloating of the Administration, as if they had been the snipers aiming at a ship tossing in the open ocean taking the impossible shots at a group of pirates with a hostage.

Over the weekend, one of the NBC shows was speaking to it's White House correspondent, and the conversation turned to the economy. Of course, being part of the MSM, they were busy talking about the need for greater regulation on corporations, easing of lending for homeowners to prevent foreclosures and the like. At the end of the conversation, the anchor opined that "Americans will just have to get used to the 'new normal.'" The correspondent readily agreed, citing Administration plans to level the economic playing field through continued increases in progressive taxation. This new normal is lower wages, lower yearly incomes, lower economic progress and lower expectations when it comes to anything "American." Is this "new" normal a result of the economic recession? Absolutely not; it is due completely to the policies of the administration and its dressing down of the economy. When taxes are increased, services are provided by the government instead of the free market, and private corporations are forced to deal with the reality that if they fall out of line they can be taken over all bode terribly for the economy not only in the short-term, but also for the long-run.

Finally, we have come to a new low for the American psyche. We have gotten ourselves to a point where we take the words of politicians at an elevated level, assuming that because they have been elected to Congress they are smarter than we are. Congress is made up of lawyers, doctors, teachers, business owners, and life-long government employees. Just because they won an election for Senator or won a majority of 350,000 votes for a House district they are not granted an immediate influx of knowledge. So why do we trust them to spend money, create policy and change the American way of life? Because they've held hearings? Because they won? Because they can?

It has just come out that so far in 2009, $19.6 billion has already been earmarked for pork projects. Anonymous spending without any type of approval from anyone, except those who are writing them in. Plans to restrict open airwaves for whatever type of political commentary because it isn't fair that the free market doesn't include everyone (even if no one listens to some). Cutting defense spending to increase welfare entitlements. Backing down on democratic principals established throughout the last century to open dialogue with extreme fundamentalist, communist, and totalitarian governments. The steps that these individuals are taking because they don't think you know any better are out of control. Every member of Congress must be brought to accountability by the members of their district for the deeds they have done and the attitudes they have developed.

If possible, please attend a Tax Day Tea Party tomorrow, April 15th, to protest the federal government and its outrageous spending habits. We'll be in Mobile, Ala., tomorrow at 12 noon and we look forward to seeing you there.

GET OFF YOUR HIGH HORSE

This week, Congress and the Administration have come out with their hands raised in exasperation.

Knock it off.

They are complaining about $165 million in bonuses given to AIG executives. Ok, I understand the frustration that AIG were given bailout funds, but they were contractually owed, and in your stimulus bill, Mr. President - that you signed and all members of your party in Congress read (in the 12 hours from writing it to passing), a provision was inserted saying that all bonuses promised before February 11, 2009 could and would be paid.

Stop complaining - you let them do it! Quit trying to act like you had no idea. AIG turned over all its financial records to Geithner for him to review before approving more funds to be given to AIG. He either didn't take the time to read about the bonuses, or didn't care.

What's worse is that now your talking about raising taxes on just the people who got the bonuses from these companies. The House wants to put a 90% tax on individuals who receive a bonus from a company that received $5 billion in bailout funds. Besides being a violation of the Constitution (Bill of Attainder - Article I, Section 9, Clause 3; Ex Post Facto laws - Article I, Section 9, Clause 3), Congress and Obama are setting a precedent that if you make too much money or the federal government thinks that you are doing wrong, then it can take away your income. That does not make sense! Let me say it again:

Even if what your doing is not illegal, if the government deems it to be wrong they will take away your money.

Finally, this issue is minuscule. $165 million in bonuses. While to most Americans it seems like an unbelievable amount, think about this: $3.1 billion, with a 'B', in earmarks were slid through the latest spending bill. Why does no one care about that. How many individuals will be affected by each one of those dollars. At least with these bonuses, the money will be pumped back in to the economy. If $200,000 is granted to build a statute at a high school, where is the long-term financial benefit? The debate over this is utterly hypocritical.

Stop acting as if you, the Democratic Party and President Obama, are offended by this action and result. You let it happen. Senator Dodd has come out and admitted that he inserted the language that allowed the bonuses to be paid at the behest of the Executive Branch. Treasury Secretary Geithner either missed the bonuses or ignored them completely, one or the other. President Obama, you should have vetoed this legislation if you did not want these retaining bonuses to be paid. You are trying to save political face and you are violating the Constitution and the Judicial Branch will shoot your legislation down swiftly and exactly.

I do not care about the bonuses. Not one bit. And secretly, I think, neither do you, Mr. President, Mrs. Speaker, and other Democrats in Congress and throughout D.C. Here is my assumption:

This is a trying time in our nation. A small, undercurrent and counter-culture group is attempting to change the mindset of the citizens of the United States. You are angering the masses towards wealth. Those with wealth and excess wealth are inherently evil. They are the bad guys. It is the wealthy's fault for those who do without. You wish to tax the wealthy and the established in order to be fair to those who are not as well off. And this bonus situation gave you the platform to continue your movement. A mere $165 million and the wealthy are nothing but corrupt and incompetent. They are thieves of our citizen's money. If you can make the masses hate wealth, you can make everyone believe that mediocracy is valuable. If you make people believe that unnecessary sacrifice is patriotic, you can change the world. You can kill capitalism if you can make people believe that no one is smarter, better, or more valuable than anyone else.

The new members of the Democratic Party are trying to shift our nation away from our foundations and everything that the United States has stood for for over two centuries. Playing the blame game in this bonus situation, stirring up imaginary conflicts among members of the Republican Party, and attacking dissenting members of the media are all attempts by this new movement to hide their true actions - nationalizing corporations, over-regulating the economy, constricting wealth, and promoting the educational agenda of socialist/left-wing organizations.

We must not let the wool be pulled over our eyes. Keeping the Constitution at the forefront of every issue is the best way to defeat this attempted governmental conversion. Stay strong, fight for liberty, defend capitalism, and always respect the Constitution and we can never go wrong.